Top News:
Associated Press:
Ben Zobrist's slam helps Rays beat Red Sox 9-6 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All-Star David Price pitched six solid innings and Ben Zobrist hit his fifth career grand slam, helping the Tampa Bay Rays tighten the AL East standings with a 9-6 victory Friday night that snapped first-place Boston's six-game winning streak.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Boston Globe and Associated Press
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Game 91: Red Sox at Rays — Hey, the Red Sox are playing again. Here are the lineups: — RED SOX (55-35) — Ellsbury CF — Pedroia 2B — Gonzalez 1B — Youkilis 3B — Ortiz DH — McDonald RF — Saltalamacchia C — Navarro LF — Scutaro SS — Pitching: LHP Andrew Miller (3-0, 3.57)
Discussion:
Surviving Grady and Over the Monster
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
David Price signs deal to autograph Derek Jeter's 3,000th items
Discussion:
NESN.com
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Epstein won't rest on laurels as Deadline nears
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Boston Globe
Associated Press:
Karstens throws five-hitter as Pirates beat Astros — HOUSTON — Jeff Karstens pitched a five-hitter and Andrew McCutchen tripled and drove in two runs as the surging Pittsburgh Pirates opened the second half of the season with a 4-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Pence relishes All-Star experience — HOUSTON — Considering Hunter Pence was given an excused absence from Thursday's workout at Minute Maid Park because he played in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday in Phoenix, the right fielder got a chance to discuss his experience Friday with the Houston media.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Dejan Kovacevic / PittsburghLIVE.com:
10 steps to keep Bucs' success
Discussion:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MLB Rumors
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Francoeur wants to stay put as trade deadline approaches — It was Bastille Day so, naturally, Frenchy was in a feisty mood Thursday before the Royals opened their post-break schedule with the first of four weekend games against the Minnesota Twins. — Specifically, yes, of course …
Discussion:
Mack's Mets, Royals Review, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
ESPN:
A buyers' trade market for outfielders
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Projo Sox Blog and Full Count
Associated Press:
Mayberry Jr. drives in five as Phillies thump Mets — NEW YORK — John Mayberry Jr. drove in five runs to set another career best, Vance Worley pitched well enough and the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a strong start after the all-star break by beating the New York Mets 7-2 on Friday night.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, The Good Phight, Amazin' Avenue and Associated Press
Associated Press:
Floyd outduels Verlander as White Sox rout Tigers — DETROIT — Gavin Floyd allowed six hits into the eighth inning, outpitching Justin Verlander and leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. — Carlos Quentin had three hits and three RBIs for the White Sox.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Buster Olney / MLB:
New K-Rod deal removes games-finished clause — The Milwaukee Brewers and Francisco Rodriguez have negotiated a new structure of the reliever's contractual clause, and the end result now is that the Brewers can use K-Rod in any role — including closer — without being locked into $17.5 million deal for the 2012 season.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Associated Press and ESPN
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Associated Press:
Rookie Hosmer's homer in ninth lifts Royals over Twins — MINNEAPOLIS — Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning off Matt Capps to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 2-1 victory Friday night over Minnesota, the seventh blown save this season for the Twins' closer to match the major-league lead.
Discussion:
Twinkie Town
Associated Press:
Prado returns from DL, hits homer to help Braves whip Nats — ATLANTA — Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list and the Braves beat the error-prone Washington Nationals 11-1 on Friday night for the 10,000th win in franchise history.
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank:
Owner Jeffrey Loria will consider Jack McKeon to manage Florida Marlins in 2012, promises changes to minor league system — Owner Jeffrey Loria just spoke to Marlins beat writers at Wrigley Field and offered his first public comments since June. — I'll have a story up later.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Dempster throws eight scoreless innings as Cubs beat Marlins — CHICAGO — Canada's Ryan Dempster pitched four-hit ball over eight scoreless innings, and the Chicago Cubs overcame another shaky performance by closer Carlos Marmol to beat Florida 2-1, snapping the Marlins' season-high, six-game winning streak on Friday.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Indians extend Orioles' losing streak to nine games — BALTIMORE — Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore homered, Lonnie Chisenhall singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning, and the Cleveland Indians defeated Baltimore 6-5 Friday night to extend the Orioles' losing streak to nine games …
Sports Illustrated:
Beltran, Reyes are top names for unpredictable trading season … The trading season began rather bizarrely, with the Mets rushing to trade Francisco Rodriguez, their star high-priced closer with the scary vesting option, a new agent and a missing no-trade list.
Discussion:
The Daily Fungo
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Clemens gets out of a jam — Mistrial is Rocket's biggest victory ever — Call it the biggest win of Roger Clemens's career. — The Rocket won 354 games in the big leagues. He won 192 games for the Red Sox, still a franchise record (along with Cy Young, which is somehow fitting).
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
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Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:
After K-Rod trade, Mets may close by committee with Bobby Parnell, Jason Isringhausen, Pedro Beato — It did not take long to replace Francisco Rodriguez - in the Mets' clubhouse at least. As the team reconvened for the first time since its former fiery closer was shipped off to Milwaukee …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB.com and ESPN
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